About Team
DR. LAVLIN THADANI
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LAVLIN, THE ACTOR
Dr. Lavlin has acted under some of the best Directors of the Bombay Film Industry namely, Lekh Tandon, M.S.Sathyu, Ved Rahi and I.S.Johar among others. She continues to play the lead role of Padma Vibhushan Ms. Amrita Pritam, in a play, ‘Amrita – A Sublime Love Story’, winning high critical acclaim all over the country. Amrita Pritam thought highly of Lavlin’s poetry and termed Lavlin as her “Soul Mate” despite the age difference of almost 4 decades between them.
Lavlin has acted in the film ‘Sookha’ opposite Anant Nag, directed by M.S. Sathyu. She also acted in ‘Bidar’ in Kannada - directed by M. S. Sathyu along with acting in ‘Maa’ – a telefilm - in the lead role opposite Raj Kiran, directed by Shiv Sharma, ‘Karvaten’ – a serial opposite Kanwaljeet, directed by Lekh Tandon, ‘Karmawali’ – a telefilm Directed by Ved Rahi. She also has acted Acted in I. S. Johar ’s serial for Doordarshan (Bombay). Lavlin has played the lead role opposite Kanwaljeet in a telefilm ‘Adhure Armaan’ directed by Khalid Sultan and also acted in a feature film ‘Kim’ - directed by John Davies starring Peter O’Toole. She has lent her voice for the late Meena Kumari.
LAVLIN, THE FILM-MAKER
Passionate about socially relevant issues, Lavlin has produced and directed about a hundred programmes that include features, documentaries, and docu-dramas. A telefilm titled Karrmawali represented India at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Two films, Jeet and You be the sky left a mark at the international film festivals and were screened at the Magsaysay Awardees’ conference in Indonesia besides twice at the United Nations in New York.
Lavlin established an international record when The India Habitat Centre (New Delhi) hosted a four-day long exclusive film festival of a single director, wherein 17 of her films made under Muskan banner were screened fetching her extensive media coverage and accolades. Lavlin has been trained in children's programmes by Peter Moss, a specialist in children's TV programmes (Canada). Lavlin has served on a jury constituted by UNICEF for selection of best films for a period of 5 years besides serving on jury members of other prestigious fora.
LAVLIN, THE POET CUM WRITER
Book of poems written in Hindustani titled ‘Meri Zameen, Mera Aasmaan’ introduction to which has been written by the great literary genius, Amrita Pritam and preface by Gopaldas Neeraj. The book was released by Mani Shankar Aiyar, Ram Jethmalani, Markandey Katju, Kiran Bedi, Imroz Ji, and the Ambassador of Russia to India, His Excellency, A. M. Kadakin.
LAVLIN, THE EDUCATIONIST
Dr. Lavlin is a Ph.D. in Russian Literature from the prestigious Moscow State University, Moscow. She has been a Visiting Faculty with the School of Foreign Languages at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has served as a Member on the ‘Board of Governors’ of The British School Society affiliated to the British High Commission in New Delhi.
Dr. Lavlin has served on the Governing Board of Kamla Nehru College and other prestigious educational institutions. She is on the Board of Prakashdeep as its Vice-President and continues to work for the upliftment of socially backward children by way of educating them. She has served on the PTA of Modern School, Vasant Vihar, and also took initiative to teach different subjects as and when required.
LAVLIN, THE SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Trustee with a leading NGO, India Vision Foundation, Dr. Lavlin has been actively involved in various social activities. She was the former member of The Central Film Censor Board of India and the Lalit Kala Academy. She is a former trustee with a leading NGO, Mamta. Dr. Lavlin is a member of The Poetry Society (India).
Lavlin is currently serving as a Board Member of Prakashdeep as its Vice-President and continues to work for the upliftment of socially backward children by way of educating them. Made a film on Anna’s movement in Delhi. Continues to serve as the Joint Secretary of Zamrudpur Welfare Association, taking care of cleanliness, aesthetics, and other administrative issues.
LAVLIN, THE ADMINISTRATOR CUM BROADCASTER
Held the post of the Head of the Russian Service, equivalent to that of the Station Director at All India Radio. Deputy Chief Director (Culture) with India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). Produced over 2,500 features for the External Services Division of AIR alone. She is an ace Broadcaster and Newscaster.
LAVLIN, THE JOURNALIST
Freelance journalist and photojournalist. She has contributed articles and interviews to The Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Sunday Magazine, and India Today besides other publications. She is a Former Editor of the Children’s Page of The Hindustan Times.
LAVLIN, THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Freelance creative photographer with numerous solo exhibitions sponsored by Mr. Ibrahim Alkazi’s Art Heritage at Triveni Kala Sangam and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. Held a solo exhibition on integration between the spastic and normal children mounted in various cities of the world winning high critical acclaim. Contributed photo essays and pictures clicked by her to leading publications, i.e., The Hindustan Times, The Sunday Magazine among others.
LAVLIN, THE INTERPRETER
An interpreter for the UN and with most of the former Prime Ministers of India, interpreting from English to Russian and vice versa.
LAVLIN, THE ANCHOR
Lavlin has pioneered innumerable shows including the Breakfast show for Doordarshan, and interviewed dignitaries for Doordarshan and Moscow Television.
Wrote and composed patriotic songs for AIR during the Kargil War which were aired on daily basis. Wrote and composed the title song for a serial on Maulana Azad, ‘Seher Hone Tak’. Wrote and composed the title song for a corporate film on Travel Corporation of India (TCI). Wrote and composed a song on Anna Hazare’s Movement besides songs for other films and serials of Muskan Productions.
LAVLIN, THE BUSINESSWOMAN
One time, a high profile businesswoman, Lavlin was heading 'Wings Wear Pvt. Ltd.' - a leading garment Export House. Lavlin ran a very successful modelling agency ‘Kaanan’ and organized innumerable photo shoots and fashion shows. Lavlin herself was one of the top models herself. She holds a Certificate in Gemmology from Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited
LAVLIN, THE EVENT MANAGER
Organized Pankaj Udhas evening at the opening of the International Trade Fair in New Delhi. Organized various successful evenings for The Poetry Society (India). Organized events for leading schools of Delhi, i.e., The Modern School (Vasant Vihar), The British School (affiliated to the British High Commission) and Prakashdeep School for the underprivileged children.
ABOUT KARMANYE THADANI
WORK DONE AT THE CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY (CCS)
• Authored a detailed research paper on the role of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in monitoring the implementation of the Right to Education Act, enacted by the Indian Parliament. The research involved studying NCPCR’s official resources, reviewing media reports, and engaging with government officials as well as education activists.
• General Legal Research on Education – Researched on legislations and judgments concerning education, and gave presentations on the same to the rest of the School Choice Team, the team in CCS working on education. Significant among these was my presentation on the landmark Delhi High Court case of Social Jurist vs. GNCT & Ors. Also researched the regulations governing school (pre-college) education in the Indian province of Rajasthan along with relevant case laws. That apart, gave a presentation comparing the legal systems governing education in India and China respectively.
• Work for the National Independent School Alliance (NISA) – NISA is a body created to help low budget private schools across India raise their voice against stringent government regulations that can lead to their closure. CCS currently serves as the secretariat of NISA and Karmanye was involved in preparing the content of the NISA website and organizing an NISA conference in Delhi.
WORK AT MUSKAN PRODUCTIONS
Did research for and contributed to the screenplay of a docudrama (combination of documentary and feature) serial on the life of the great freedom fighter Maulana Azad. Was also involved in auditioning artists, interviewing eminent public intellectuals, compiling archival footage and the production management.
SHORT COURSE(S)/WORKSHOP(S) PURSUED
1. Attended the summer course on international human rights law at Oxford University, which is conducted in collaboration with George Washington University, in July-August 2011.
2. Attended a two-week course on qualitative research methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in August 2012.
3. Attended a course on public policy organized by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) in Delhi in May 2012.
4. Attended a four-day workshop on legal and interdisciplinary research methodology at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Koba, India in September 2012.
5. Attended a course on law and economics at GNLU in February 2013.
PARTICIPATION IN TELEVISED ‘YOUTH PARLIAMENT’ ON TIMES NOW
Was one of the four people selected from across the country for the ‘Foreign Policy’ debate conducted by India’s leading news channel in the English language, wherein the motion was ‘India’s foreign policy is not in line with our global aspirations’ in which Karmanye spoke for the motion. Debated alongside eminent politicians and public intellectuals like Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mr. Manish Tewari, Mr. G. Parthasarthy and Mr. Brahma Chellaney. The debate was moderated by Mr. Arnab Goswami and Mr. Maroof Raza. A video of the same can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fhX6q4UzqE.
PUBLICATIONS AND BOOK(S)
Co-authoring a book titled ‘Dynamics in India, China and Their Relations: Negotiating Spaces in Narratives’ with Dr. Manan Dwivedi, who teaches bureaucrats International Relations at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Delhi.
ACADEMIC ARTICLE(S)
1. Article titled ‘Law of Armed Conflict and the Environment’, co-authored with another person, in the reputed international journal ‘Environmental Policy and Law’ (volume 45, issue 6).
2. Article titled ‘Why Modi’s Election Doesn’t Signal India Being a Hard-line Hindu Rightist Country’, published on the website of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs. The article can be accessed here- http://www.cria.polis.cam.ac.uk/blog/?p=249
3. Written an article ‘Afghanistan: A Theatre of Violent Conflict between Pakistan and India’ for a reputed online journal, the International Policy Digest, which was tweeted by noted expert William Dalrymple. The article can be accessed here- http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2014/06/10/afghanistan-theatre-violent-conflict-pakistan-india/
4. ‘Tiny Marshall Islands challenging Nuclear Powers (Including India and Pakistan) in the International Court of Justice’, on the international law blog ‘International Law Square’ available at- https://ilsquare.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/tiny-marshall-islands-challenging-nuclear-powers-including-india-and-pakistan-in-the-international-court-of-justice/
5. Article titled ‘International Criminal Court and Universal Jurisdiction: Sacrificing Sovereignty for Security?’ on www.legalserviceindia.com, an e-journal. The link for the article is- http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l163-International-Criminal-Court-and-Universal-jurisdiction.html
It has over 2000 views and an average rating of 5 stars. An extract of the article was even quoted in a panel discussion, the online version of which is on the West Coast Publishing website. The link for this is- http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:7WyDInxHjcIJ:smhs.enschool.org/ourpages/auto/2008/8/25/1219689589402/LD%2520ICCAFFEvid.docx+karmanye+thadani+international+criminal+court&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in
6. Article titled ‘Child Soldiers: Their Recruitment, How they are Treated and Position in International Law’, co-authored with another student, has been published in Volume 2, Issue 1 of the GNLU Journal of Law, Development and Politics (GJLDP).
OTHER ARTICLE(S)
1. Written an article ‘The Search for Latent Phobias in Neutral Narratives’ published in the reputed Indian magazine Tehelka, available at http://www.tehelka.com/the-search-for-latent-phobias-in-neutral-narratives/.
2. Written articles for the ‘Blogs’ section of the website of the leading Indian national daily, the Times of India, which are stated hereunder-
a) ‘What to keep in mind before voting ‘NOTA’, available at
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/res-ipsa-loquitur/what-to-keep-in-mind-before-voting-nota/
b) “ ‘We, the People of India’ – The unwilling bankrollers of legislative logjams”, available at http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/res-ipsa-loquitur/we-the-people-of-india-the-unwilling-bankrollers-of-legislative-logjams/.
3. Co-authored an article titled ‘Going Beyond the Discourse on Indian Secularism’, which was published in the ‘Blogs’ section on the website of the reputed Indian newspaper Daily News & Analysis (DNA), available at http://www.dnaindia.com/india/standpoint-going-beyond-the-discourse-on-indian-secularism-1968268.
4. Written a critique of Amir Raza Hussain’s play ‘1947 Live’ titled ‘Don’t Play With History’, citing factual errors and serious omissions in the play, was published in a supplement to The Hindu, a reputed Indian newspaper.
5. Written an article “There’s a Ray of Hope for Kashmir”, published in the Kashmir-based newspaper Rising Kashmir, opposing the separatist movement in the valley and advocating integration with India, while also acknowledging and condemning some wrongs by the Indian state and society pertaining to Kashmir.
6. Written several articles for the website of the Model Governance Foundation, a think-tank, namely-
a) ‘Not a Toothless Tiger to Secure our Children’s Future, Please!’, on the importance of strengthening the national and state child rights commissions, available at http://modelgovernance.com/not-a-toothless-tiger-to-secure-our-childrens-future-please/
b) ‘Let us have Policy-Centric rather than Personality-Centric Political Discourse, Please!’, available at http://modelgovernance.com/let-us-have-policy-centric-rather-than-personality-centric-political-discourse-please/.
MEMBERSHIP OF OTHER VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS
a) Former member of the organization My Home India that works for the integration of India’s northeast. Was involved in organizing a seminar on the freedom fighter U Kiang Nangbah from Meghalaya, and in a project on how the history of the north-east is largely not covered in the NCERT textbooks.
b) Member of the organization Global Youth India that organizes seminars on foreign policy issues concerning India.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN UNIVERSITY (GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, GANDHINAGAR)
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
a) Scored 81% in Public International Law, getting a CGPA of 7/7. (4th year)
b) Scored 78% in International Relations, getting a CGPA of 7/7. (3rdyear)
LEGAL RESEARCH PAPER COMPETITION(S)
Participated in the Law Reforms Competition organized by the prestigious National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, India, in a team with four other students. The research paper dealt with the issue of rights of tribals and other forest-dwellers in India, in which we suggested several legislative and executive reforms. The team came 4th and won a cash prize of 10,000 Indian rupees. (3rd year)
MOCK PARLIAMENT(S)
Participated in a mock parliament competition in a team with another student organized by the School of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, India in collaboration with the Rotaract Club. It involved a debate on the Gujarat Control of Organized Crime (GujCoC) Bill, similar to the Patriot Act in the United States, which Karmanye’s team criticized. The team won the 1st prize.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN) COMPETITION(S)
Participated in the MUN competition in Delhi, organized by Amity Law School, Noida. Participated as the delegate of India in the Legal Committee of the General Assembly, the agenda being transitional justice in the wake of the Arab Spring, and got the first high commendation. (5th year)
MOOT COURT(S)
a) Represented the university at the University Law University (ULC) Moot Court Competition at Bangalore, India, in 2008 in a team with two other students, the selection basis for the same being intra-university rounds.(1st year)
b) Was the student-coach of the team that represented GNLU in the ULC Moot Court Competition in 2010. (3rd year)
INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATION COMPETITION(S)
Qualified for the oral rounds of the Copenhagen Negotiation Competition organized by and at the University of Copenhagen (the theme that year was ‘Access to Food’) in a team with three other students, representing GNLU. The team was one of the eight teams selected from across the globe on the basis of the written submissions. (5th year)